Our market development work is important to achieving our statutory objective to promote competition in, reliable supply by and the efficient operation of the electricity industry for the long-term benefit of consumers.

If an anomalous event or outcome occurs in the market or the broader electricity sector, we investigate it to determine the causes and whether something can or should be done to prevent such an event or outcome from occurring again.

The total electricity generated by small scale solar connections has increased by 30% this year. The current capacity is around 40 megawatts of power, which is roughly equivalent to 13 wind turbines.

Carl Hansen, Chief Executive of the Electricity Authority says, “Small scale solar offers residential consumers another option for their electricity supply. We are committed to removing unwarranted barriers to the connection of small scale generation.”

“We are also working to encourage distributors and retailers to provide accurate price information for consumers that are in the initial stages of considering whether to adopt new technologies, such as electric vehicles, batteries, solar power and energy management apps. These technologies offer exciting opportunities for consumers and we are working to remove unwarranted barriers to innovation. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) has also developed a tool to help consumers access whether solar could be right for their household (https://www.energywise.govt.nz/tools/solar-calculator/).”

“The Authority promotes competition in the electricity market, and believes all participants and technologies should be treated equally under the Code administered by the Authority. We are technology neutral but are working to reduce operational cost and barriers to new technologies entering the market.”

In January 2015 there were 4,796 small scale solar connections in New Zealand. These are installed on individual households. This rose to 11,117 in October 2016, which is a 132% increase in installed connections. Small-scale generation is generation that has a capacity of less than 10 kW.